Mold-filling and tamping device for brick and similar presses.



' No. 798,329. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

H. J. FLOOD.

MOLD FILLING AND TAMPING DEVICE FOR BRICK AND SIMILAR PRESSES.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8. 1904. I

3 SHEETB-SHBET 2.

PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

H. J. FLOOD. MOLD FILLING AND TAMPING DEVICE FOR BRICK AND SIMILARPRBSSBS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1904.

v No. 798,329.

No. 798,329. PATBNTED AUG. 29, 1905.

H. J. FLOOD. v MOLD FILLING AND TAMPING DEVICE FOR BRICK AND SIMILARPRESSES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 8. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNTTED STATES PATET OFFTQE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application file-1 August 8, 1904:. Serial No. 219.907.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY J. FLooD, a citi- Zenof the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful ImprovementsinMold-Filling and TampingDevices forBrick and Similar Presses, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to attachments applicable to machines for pressingbrick and generallyanalogous articles, and pertains more particularly toa new and improved device for filling and tamping the material operatedupon in the usual mold-boxes of such machines preliminary to thecompressing action of the machine proper.

My invention has been more especially designed for use in connectionwith brick-making machines of that type employing a rotary mold disk ortable having a series of radially-disposed mold-boxes which aresuccessively filled with the material to be treated and subjected to theaction of one or more compressing plungers or rams.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown the device of my presentinvention as applied to a rotary brick-press similar to that forming thesubject-matter of my pending application, filed on the 20th day of May,1904, Serial No. 208,858; but it will be understood that in its broadfeatures the attachment is capable ofemployment to advantage upon anyclass or type of brick or other press employing mold-boxes wherein theloose material is first charged and subsequently tamped to completelyand thoroughly fill all parts and corners of the mold-box preliminary tothe compressing operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in whichI have shown myinvention in an approved mechanical form in association with those partsof a brick-machine with which it intimately cooperates, Figure 1 is aside elevational View of the apparatus with certain parts of the machineproper in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view ofthe same parts in a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1, andFig. 3 is a top plan view of the same parts.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates the upper overhanging portion ofone of the main side frames of a brick-press of that general typeemploying a rotary mold disk or table in association with atoggle-actuated compressing mechanism.

6 designates the rotary mold table or disk provided with a series ofradially-disposed mold-boxes 7, each equipped with a ram or plunger 8,said plungers being successively engaged and elevated by an underlyingpresserhead (not shown) connected to the lower ends of a pair of sidebars, one of which is shown at 9 in Fig. l slidably mounted in avertical sleeve 5 on the extremity of the side frame 5 and verticallyactuated by a pair of togglelinks 10 and 11, which are actuated by aconnecting-rod 12 from a cranked or eccentric portion 13 of adriving-shaft 13, journaled horizontally in the side-frame members 5.The driving-shaft 13, in addition to actuating the presser-head whichelevates the plungers 8, also imparts an intermittent rotary motion tothe mold-table 6 through a bevel-pinion 14, Fig. 3, engaging acorresponding pinion 15 on the upper end of a shaft 16, the lower end ofwhich carries a disk 17, to the under side of which is pivoted byawristpin 18 one end of a pitman 19, the other end of which is similarlyconnected at 20 to a segment-bar 21, carrying one or more springpressedpawls 22, that cooperate with ratchetteeth (not shown) on the peripheryof the mold-table. The lower toggle-arm 11 is jointed in a rigidtransverse yoke 23, to the under side of which is attached a block 24:and hardened pressure-plate 25, the latter overlying the upper open endsof the successive mold-boxes 7 as they are in turn brought beneath itand constituting a cover or abutment against which the material in themold-boxes is compacted.

The parts of the brick-press to the extent hereinabove describedcorrespond with the disclosure in the application hereinabove referredto; and I will next describe those parts making up my improved mold-filling and tamping mechanism wherein my present invention principallyresides.

26 designates a feed-hopper of generally segmental form disposed abovethe moldtable and preferably of a length sufiicient to embrace and covertwo adjacent mold-boxes, as shown in Fig. 3. This hopper may be rigidlysupported on or from the frame of the machine by any suitable means,such as the angle-brackets 27 and 28 bolted to either side thereof andsecured at their other ends to the inner flange of the side-frame member5. The hopper 26 is preferably divided into two chambers by apartition-plate 29, which is slidably mounted in vertical grooves orslideways 30 and 31, formed in the inner opposite longitudinal walls ofthe hopper, and is made vertically adjustable by any convenierrtmeans,such as a set-screw 32, tapping the bottom wall of groove 30. Forconvenience in removing the partition-plate where the overlying frame isso low as to interfere with a vertical sliding movement out of itsguidinggrooves one side wall of groove 31 may be cut away, as shown, soas to permit that end of the partition-plate to be inserted and re movedlaterally, the plate when in place being confined by a threaded pin orbolt 32. The lower edge of the partition 29, as will be seen byreference to Figs. 1 and 2, terminates somewhat short of the upper faceof the mold disk 6, its degree of separation from the latter beingdetermined by the adjusting devices last described. The larger chamberof the hopper thus formed is served by a spout 33 leading from anyoverhead source of clay, sand, or other material to be treated.

.34 designates a tamping block or head disposed reciprocably in thesmaller chamber of the hopper 26 of substantially the form andlongitudinal and transverse dimensions of the mold-boxes 7. Thistamping-block is rigidly secured to the lower end of a laterally-offsetoperating arm or stem 35, the upper portion of which consists of a rod35, having a vertically-sliding bearing in a bracket 36 secured to theside-frame member 5, said rod being threaded at its upper end andcarrying an adjustable movement-limiting stop in the form of a nut 37,provided with a locking-nut 38. The arm 35 has at the lower end of therod portion 35 a collar 39 fixed thereon, between which and the lowerface of the bracket 36 is a coil compression-spring 40, surrounding therod 35 and exerting a downward pressure upon the collar 39. Projectinglaterally from the face of the arm 35 is a pin 41, which lies across thepath of upward movement of the horizontal arm 42 of a bell-crank leverpivoted at 43 on a bracket 44, secured to the face of the side frame 5.The vertically-extending arm 45 of the bell-crank lever lies alongsideof the connecting-rod 12 and across the path of movement of alaterally-extending pin 46, projecting from a clamp 47, secured to theconnecting-rod 12, said pin having a reduced end portion 46, for apurpose hereinafter described.

By reason of the foregoing mechanism it will be seen that the continuedmovement of the connecting-rod 12 in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 1 to straighten the toggle-arms 10 and 11 will, throughthe pin 46, the bell-crank lever 45 42, and the pin 41, raise the tamp34, at the same time strongly compressing the spring 40. In order toretain the tamp thus elevated until the proper instant in the operationof the machine for.

the impact arrives, I provide a detent mechanism thrown into actionautomatically by a spring and released automatically when theconnecting-rod 12 reaches a certain position in its oscillations. Thisdetent mechanism, as herein shown, consists of a pawl 48, pivoted at 49to the face of a bracket-plate 50, secured to the face of the side-framemember 5, said bracket-plate 50 also serving as a vertical guide for thestem or arm 35 of the tamp. The upper end of the pawl 48 has a nose 48adapted to be automatically thrust into holding engagement with a notch51, formed in the adjacent edge of the arm 35, said pawl beingactuated'by a leaf-spring 52 acting in rear upon the upper endthereof.that when the arm and tamp have been raised sufficiently to bring thenotch 51 to the level of the nose 48 of the pawl the latter will at oncesnap into the notch and sustain the tamp in its elevated positionagainst the compressive effect of the spring 40. This having been done,the connecting-rod 12 will continue its oscillation, straightening thetoggle-arms and effecting the compression of a brick in that mold-boxsubjected to the action of the presserhead, and will then on its returnmovement bend the toggle-arms, permitting the presserhead to drop whilethe mold-table is given another partial rotation to bring the nextsuccessive filled mold-box and its plunger above the presser-head. Asnow the connecti n g-rod returns on the straightening movement of thetoggle, the reduced extremity 46 of the pin 46 will strike and depressa'tappet 53, secured to and projecting rearwardly from the upper end ofthe pawl 48, this action rocking the pawl rearwardly sufliciently towithdraw its nose from the notch 51, thus allowing the tam p to fallwith a sharp quick stroke, produced by the spring 40. upon thei'naterial in the mold-box lying directly beneath the tamp. Astheconnecting-rod continues its movement the tamp is again raised, and thesame cycle of operations is repeated in connection with each of thenextsucceeding charged moldboxes.

The clay or other material charged into the larger compartment of themold-box through the spout 33 maintains said compartment substantiallyfull, from which the material falls directly into the mold-boxunderlying said larger compartment, it being understood that the hopperhas no bottom other than that formed by the upper surface of themold-table. As the mold-boxes thus filled successively pass beneath thepartition 29, the lower for the materialtherein, so that the tamphead onits subsequent descent strikes squarely upon the flat upper surface ofthe material in or projecting slightly above the top of the mold-box,and by its blow sufficiently spreads and compacts the material in themold-box to insure the thorough filling at a practically uniform densityof all parts of the box prior to the main compressing operation.

The formation of the hopper in two comedge of the latter serves as aleveler or evener' It will thus be seen 7 partments, one of whichreceives the charge while the other accommodates the tamp, with apartition therebetween, which serves to level off the previously-filledmold-boxes prior to the tamping operation, is of importance, since itdispenses with the necessity of manually regulating the charge in eachmold-box, and the adjustability of the partition 29 is also ofconsiderable importance, since different materials should be leveled orevened off at different heights prior to the tamping operation,according to the different densities and fineness of the materials andthe effect produced thereon by the action of the tamp.

It is evident that the mechanism, as hereinabove described, and shown inthe drawings, might be considerably varied in respect to details withoutaltering its principle of operation or lessening any of the benefits oradvantages attained thereby, and hence I do not limit the invention tothe particular construction shown and described except to the extentindicated in specific claims.

I claim 1. The combination with a stationary hopper and a mold-boxmovable to a charging position therebeneath, of a spring-actuated tampreciprocable in said hopper, means for elevating said tamp, and meanswhereby the tamp-actuating spring is subsequently made effective todrive the tamp upon the material in said mold-box, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a stationary hopper and a mold-box movable to acharging position therebeneath, of a spring-actuated tamp verticallyreciprocable in said hopper, means for elevatingsaid tamp against theaction of its spring, a detent for holding said tamp elevated, andadetent-releasing mechanism, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an open-bottomed stationary hopper having atransverse partition dividing said hopper into a charge-receivingcompartment and a tamping-compartment, the lower edge of said partitionconstituting an evener or leveler, of a mold-box movable beneath saidcompartments successively, and a vertically-reciprocable tamp in saidtamping-compartment adapted on its descent to impact the material insaid mold-box, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with an open-bottomed stationary hopper having avertically-adjustable transverse partition dividing said hopper into acharge-receiving compartment and a tamping-compartment, the lower edgeof said partition constituting an evener or leveler of a moldbox movablebeneath said compartments successively, and a vertically-reciprocabletamp in said tamping-compartment adapted on its descent to impact thematerial in said mold-box, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a rotatable moldtable having aseries ofradially-dis posed moldboXes, of a superposed open-bottomed stationaryhopper of a length suflicient to cover two adjacent mold-boXes, atransverse partition dividing said hopper into a chargingcompartment anda tamping-compartment, the lower edge of said partition serving as aleveler, a vertically-reciprocable tamp in said tamping-compartment, andmeans for successively elevating said tamp and causing it to impact thematerial in successive mold-boxes subjected to its action, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination with a rotatable moldtable having a series ofradially-dis posed moldboxes, of a superposed open-bottomed stationaryhopper of a length sutficient to cover two adjacent mold-boxes, atransverse vertically-adjustable partition dividing said hopper betweensaid mold-boxes into a chargingcompartment and a tamping-compartment,the lower edge of said partition constituting an evener or leveler ofthe material in each moldbox as it is moved from beneath the chargingcompartment to a position beneath the tamping-compartment, averticallyreciprocable tamp in said tamping-compartment, a springsupplying the impacting energy of said tamp, means for elevating saidtamp against the ac tion of said spring, a detent for holding said tampelevated during the movement of each charged mold-box to a positiontherebeneath, and a detent-releasing mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

HARRY J. FLOOD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, WILLIAM G. MILLER.

